Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-01
BRITISH COLUMBIA.
Early Appreeiafion Of Hts
Impertanee by Great
Britain.
The Fraser River Excitement OF
isss-The Coordination and
Establishment Of the
Province Of British
Columbia.


In foregoing issues the s95Ft sss
made 10 demonsiFats that prior 10 1886
(the date Of the treaty fixing the nor-
them boundary of OFeRJn), the re-
souresa and Importance Of the disputed
territory had been appreciated By the
British Government, and that in such
fact might be foand stimulus TO Brit
ish peFtinaeity Of claim; thst thEoaRh
the irfasnee Of the Hudson Bay Com
pAny Great Britain had been induced 10
hold the coastFy; that, through the in
direcs. net TO say insiduous. Efforts Of
that Oompany the belief had been en-
Rsndered that Orse0n Territory nerth
Of the Columbia river, and more espe-
ciaily What IL nov Western Washing
ton. and Yanoouvef Island and ada
cent Islands, the Fraser river basin and
the region aorth thereof vas 90 worth
les that further contention vas auwist
and useless. A decade later, when che
license Of exclusive trade y . drawing
70 lie Gloss, when the days OF sole cceu-
pancy By the Company had become
numbered. Rnd American States wsrt
growing into importance; when u bad
become apparent that control of Paoif1c
commerce and wealth was to innuFe 10
AmeRiean cities established upon the
shores Of the Pacific. that the Company
FesoFted to this grand but spasuodic
s6srt TO retain prestige and influence
and to perpetuste British supremacy 10
Northwest America. u vas not With
any disposition 10 indulge in vain regret
for what Great Britain had gained
by her successful diplomacy, aeF panR Of
humiliation for what had been sacriA ,ed
and surrendered by the United States,
that this epoch and its interesting In
cidents are chronicIed. History has
been truthfully dffiaed 90 PHILOSOPHY
teaching by example," In this notable
point Of time we pause 10 reour to the
past, from the lesson Ne inquire the
duty to the future. British territory
and domination keeps discovered our
continuity Of Pacific Coast line, posses
sions and boundary. But recently there
we're these claiming to be considered a.
American statesmen, Who, iQneFine
those lessons of the past, would have
re- enacted the error Of 1886, who did
endeavor TO defeat the acquisition OF
Russian America upen the old and fal
lacious plea OF worthlessness Of terri
ritery, which had been successfully
urged &c iustifyiug the surrender OF 90
much of Oregon, tbs falsity OF which
was so palpably made apparent by the
mere inception OF the Fraser river ex.
citement. II the United States had
owned Alaska IN 1876. American claim
to Oregon as then asserted (good
egainst the world a. high as 81 degrees
north, and against England all the way
to 81, 40) can any one believe that any
American statesman would have dared
tn consent thas the Pacific continuity
Of the American Northwest should be
discovered, howsoever worthless the
territoryl Toe h1moeeneiiy Of that
coast line would have been preserved at
any cost. History and posteFity would
have justified the necessary expenditure
OF blood and treasure 10 its mainten-
snce. Surely no sane man would assert
that had the existence Of the wealth
and importance Of British Columbia or
Vancouver Island been as we'll under.
stood by the United States as by the
British negotiaiors any part Of British
Columbia or vancouver Island would
have been relinQuished. Obedience to
the unanimous instruction of the Amer
loan people 81 the ballot box in 1874
10 maintain at all hazards the "elear
and unquestionabls title to the
whole Of Oregon" would have prevented
today our realization that a foreign
highway of travel crosses the North
American continent, stretching along
the whole extent Of our northern bound
airy from ocean to ocean; g European
power present whose existence as such
will only cease upon the establishment
within the region Of American Nation
atty. The politician forfeits claim to
craftsmanship wh0 attempts to restrict
manifest destiny; Who 80 narrow ia the
conot ptlOn of the spirit Of passing
events assumes the role Of demaQoQne
for temporary popularity. Retrench-
ment - always popular, bat may not
prove economy or policy. He who
through mistaken sense Of economy
casts an obstacle in the way Of the ex
clasive Amerieanizltion Of the North
American continent when such a coR-
summation can be peaceably effected,
though nc some expense, classes himself
With the enemies OF American destiny.
Ooncede that regions claimed by Euro-
peab Powers are valneless, thee does the
reason for their Ab Andoument by such
PoUers.becorne more coRent, for the mo-
tive for their retention can be none
other than simple desire to claim terri
toFial rights upon the American con
tinent- With such motive alone, What
better is such q Power than the fabIed
dog in the mangeE"1 A nation 90 setu-
ated IL at best = bad neiRhbor aud de-
serves exclusion upon general principles
The exorcisp Of anv European SOW
ereigBiy frou North American AT .irs IL
OF itself q valuable consideration to she
United States. No territory upon this
continent 10 So worthless bat ID pos
y sses inherent political valus to the
National Union. The natural resources.
character Of soil, AREA, olim ste, accsssi
6ility and sdsptability TO settlement
shoald each have due weight in regulat-
inc the price when purchases are sought
10 be made. The Fraser river excite
ment exploded the theory of vi. Idine
aay portion Of this continent 20 an
European sovereignty because Of worth
lessness. II furnished q protest against
snch an aREumest being resorted to 20
cheek National expansion and progress.
That plea has always proven error
When Mr.. Jefferson, by the purchase Of
Louisiana, led lhe way for the American
Empire TO cross the Mississippi River
on its westward march to the Pacific
Osssn. even though be had secuE~d
thereby the priceless boon of tbs exssa-
sive inland navigation. bow unsparine.
IL Was he deFided. Yet tie L1uisi ana
purchase became recognized as the
wisest and most bsaiHoent act ever CON
snmated By the Government Callfer-
ala vas equally dampieed 40 worthless.
and yet her brief and brilliant career Of
wealth and grandeur has already placed
her IN the fersfront Of Americas States.
Vancouver Island, the sood and sheer
Of the iilastrie us Benton, points uish
pride 20 her Viotoria, her Z quimaiI
Der NAaAimo. The rich "a fields Of
OaFiooo and CAESAR, the vast undevsl-
oped reRis1s Of coal and gold and eli
Yer, the tracts OF agricultural lands. ths
exhanstless timber resources Of British
Colu mbia are all 30 many evids noes Of
the ahs1rdity OF sach q pretext.
The nrss grand eject Of toe Frtser
liver exc tsmeut prooisiuns "a 4 darins
- short lived cooiinnanor, had tbs
United states BIN owner Of the perts
81 EsqaiDslt ard VietoTia, the sdyaa
taRe OF position alone would have &C.
oored D. The UBited Statss. or AZ / a.,
kaRa N,TfEnlla4